Beethoven String Quartets

March 7, 2022, 7:00 pm

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This week on Exploring Music, we’ll be studying Ludwig van Beethoven through his magnificent 16
string quartets played by well-established ensembles from around the world: the Guarneri, Takács, Tokyo, and Alban Berg string quartets. These quartets offer well-defined early, middle, and late stages both in his life as well as the string quartet as a form, including the Grosse Fuge, Op.133 (which Beethoven wrote while he was stone deaf), and the Cavatina from String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major.

 


Playlist

Episode 1

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 18, No. 3 I. IV. 
Guarneri Quartet
The Early String Quartets Op. 18
RCA 60456
13:45

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 18, No. 1, I. II.
Emerson String Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets – Emerson String Quartet
DG 447075
17:20

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 18, No. 2 I. III. IV.
Alban Berg Quartet
Beethoven: String Quartets Op 18 – Alban Berg Quartet
EMI 62781
17:33

Episode 2

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 18, No. 4, IV. Finale
Tokyo String Quartet
The Tokyo String Quartet Plays Haydn and Mozart
RCA 61621
4:18

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 18, No. 5, III. IV.
Talich Quartet (Founded in 1964)
Intégrale Des Quatuors / Le Quatuor Talich
Calliope 3633/9
14:09

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 18, No. 6, III. IV.
Emerson String Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets / Emerson String Quartet
DG 447075
11:11

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 59, No. 1, I.
Juilliard Quartet
Juilliard String Quartet – The Complete EPIC Recordings 1956-66
Sony 87889
10:37

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 59, No. 3, IV.
Guarneri Quartet
Beethoven: Middle String Quartets / Guarneri Quartet
RCA 60457
5:25

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 59, No. 1, I. (excerpt)
Juilliard Quartet
Juilliard String Quartet – The Complete EPIC Recordings 1956-66
Sony 87889
2:24

Episode 3

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet, Op. 59 No. 2 in E Minor, III. IV.
Fine Arts Quartet
The Fine Arts Quartet At WFMT
Music & Arts 1154
12:46

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 59, No. 3, II. Andante
Emerson String Quartet
Beethoven: Complete String Quartets
DG 447075
8:49

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 74 “The Harp” I.
Takács Quartet
String Quartets “Razumovsky” Op.59, 1 – 3 / “Harp”, Op.74
Decca 470847
9:36

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 95
Alban Berg Quartet
Schubert – String Quintet in C / Alban Berg Quartet · Schiff
EMI 54592
19:30

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet, Op. 59 No. 2 in E Minor, IV. (excerpt)
Fine Arts Quartet
The Fine Arts Quartet At WFMT
Music & Arts 1154
1:21

Episode 4

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 95
Alban Berg Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets Box Set
Warner Classics 542559
2:05

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 127, I.
Guarneri String Quartet
Beethoven: Late String Quartets – Guarneri Quartet
RCA 60458
7:11

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 130, IV. “Cavatina” V. (excerpt)
Emerson String Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets -Emerson String Quartet
DG 447075
7:32

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 131
Emerson String Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets – Emerson String Quartet
DG 447075
35:43

Episode 5

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 133, (Finale of Op. 130 String Quartet) “Grosse Fuga”
Emerson Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets -Emerson String Quartet
DG 447075
14:41

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 132, “Heilige Dankgesang” III.
Fine Arts Quartet
The Fine Arts Quartet At WFMT
Music & Arts 1154
16:08

Beethoven, Ludwig van: Op. 135 String Quartet, III. IV.
Alban Berg Quartet
Beethoven: Late String Quartets – Alban Berg Quartet
EMI 76824
14:34

Beethoven, Ludwig van: String Quartet Op. 133, (Op. 130 String Quartet) “Grosse Fuga” (excerpt)
Emerson Quartet
Beethoven: The String Quartets -Emerson String Quartet
1:43